120 SIDELINES APRIL 2014
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
It Takes Discipline to Manage the Games
By Darlene Ricker
Ever wonder what it’s like to organize the largest and most
prestigious equestrian event in the world? Fabien Grobon, CEO
of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy,
has had more than 5,000 decisions – literally – to make since he
was chosen in 2010 to ensure that everything goes like clockwork
in Normandy. From selecting venues to setting ticket prices to
planning the opening and closing ceremonies, Fabien has had his
hand in everything.
But as any successful leader knows, one person can’t do it all.
Fabien recognized that early on when he was a key organizer
of the French Open, one of the world’s top tennis events. His
experience as a manager in the elite tennis world provided him
with skills and first-hand knowledge that continue to serve him well
as he oversees his leadership team for Normandy. The Games
opens on August 23, so now, more than ever, Fabien is relying
on the expertise of a team of disciplined managers who know the
competition needs of their sport better than anyone.
With the largest portions of the blueprint drawn long ago, the
discipline managers are down to the nitty gritty now, testing and
fine-tuning the systems and logistics that can make competing at
the Games a smooth or a bumpy ride. “As the saying goes, the
devil is in the details,” he said.
For the managers of dressage and jumping, the focus from here
on out is preparing for the test events, which will be held in June.
(Test events for eventing, driving and endurance were held last
August. The other disciplines are not being tested.)
As the clock counts down, here are the foremost thoughts on
the minds of the discipline managers for dressage, eventing and
jumping:
DRESSAGE: Didier Ferrer
I am dealing with the many issues we have in transforming
e
D’Ornano Stadium, which was built as a football (soccer) stadium,
into an equestrian stadium. We must be respectful of FEI rules
and do everything we can to provide a venue for the riders’ best
possible performances.
Our focus for the test event is the footing, of course! We chose
the best suppliers for the footing, who are accustomed to this
kind of event. Of course we have to respect a certain flexibility,
because jumping and dressage have somewhat different footing
needs. (Both disciplines will be held in the same arena.)
We have also been working on details like final schedules, choice
of each volunteer, exact job and responsibility of each volunteer,
location of every office, accommodations for volunteers, choice
of stewards, branding on the main arena, etc. Also important
considerations for us are the stables, reactions of horses in the
stadium, timing back and forth from the training arena to the main
arena, judges’ huts, music and sound.
I think the size of D’Ornano Stadium is perfect: not too large,
not too small, easy to see details of the rider/horse, high walls on
each four sides so with spectators it will be a bubbling caldron of
excitement! I hope that many will come to our wonderful country.
EVENTING: Jean-Marc Varillon
I think the test event was quite a success, as we decided not
to run a “small WEG” but really test some specific parts of the
competition, like: (1) the footing of cross-country, which is a totally
new track, including three new water jumps; (2) new technology
to feed back information from cross-country fence judges to cross-
country control; and (3) transportation of horses from Haras du
Pin, where we’ll have dressage and cross-country, to Caen (about
80 km away), where we’ll have show jumping on the last day of
eventing. At the test event, the cross-country course went very
well (almost better than expected), and all riders seemed to be
happy with it.
We are making several important changes for the Games. The
Olympic gold medalist Cédric Lyard of France clears a cross-country obstacle at
last summer’s eventing test event for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games
2014 in Normandy. The castle at Haras du Pin provides a magnificent backdrop
for the dressage and cross-country phases.
Photo by KMSP/Philippe Millereau
